Inoue will enter the fight undefeated and fully established as one of the sport’s elite. The 32-year-old four-division champion holds the Ring, IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO titles at 122 pounds and is No. 2 on The Ring pound-for-pound list. His professional record stands at 32-0 with 27 knockouts, and he has stopped most of the top names put in front of him over the past five years.
He was active throughout 2025 and went 4-0 with wins over Kim Ye-joon, Ramon Cardenas, Murodjon Akhmadaliev and Alan Picasso. The Akhmadaliev win in particular removed one of the last serious threats in the division and strengthened Inoue’s grip on the championship picture.
Nakatani enters as an undefeated former world champion who has steadily climbed through the weight classes. He previously unified belts at bantamweight before moving to 122 pounds. In December, he made his super-bantamweight debut on The Ring V Night of the Samurai card, earning a unanimous decision over Sebastian Hernandez in a fight that sparked debate over the scoring.
Now 32-0 with 24 knockouts, Nakatani is ranked No. 7 on The Ring pound-for-pound list. His height, strength and calm temperament have made him one of the most respected fighters in Japan, and this fight gives him a direct path to undisputed status.
An all-Japan showdown of this magnitude is rare. Both fighters are undefeated. Both are considered among the best in the world. Both carry a genuine knockout threat. That combination fueled expectations that the Tokyo Dome could reach or approach capacity for a domestic boxing event built around two active champions.
Beyond titles and rankings, the fight carries national weight. Inoue has become a global star, but this fight pits him against a compatriot who has earned his own following and credibility. For Nakatani, it’s the chance to step directly into the center of the sport’s spotlight against the man widely regarded as Japan’s standard-bearer.
May 2nd in Tokyo now belongs to this game. Inoue’s dominance defined the division for years. Nakatani believes he is ready to change that, and there is no bigger stage in Japan to try.
